Illuminated sign



March 7, 1933- J CUDNEY 1,900,758

' ILLUMINATEb SIGN Filed July 18 1928' as, I

Patented Mar. 7, 1933 TBS,

ATENT orrics mar a. QUDNEY, or nursnno, new Yuan, sssmnon r0 rnnxnumn oonromnon, or ronawenpn, new roan, A conclusion or rmw ronz rnnummnrnn sronj Application filed Iuly 18,

lengths of the tubes having been ascertained,

openings for the terminal portionsof the tubes are provided in the sign casing and contact means for the connection of the tubes to power are arranged ad'acent such openings. Inasmuchas tubes 0 any given length cannot be made uniform but always exhibit variations, particularly in the spacing or the angular relation of their angularly extending electrode carrying terminal portions difiiculties have arisen in efiecting the connection of such tubes to power and great care must be exercised in securing the certainty and effectiveness of the power connectemplates improvements in the form and artions. I l

The object of the present invention'is a construction and arrangement of parts which will insure eifective power connections'regardless of variations among the tubesofa given length and without the necessity of an careful or delicate adjustments.

ith this object in view the invention conrangement of the power line terminal, in

i the terminal of the tube, and in the co-operav and tive relation of these terminals.

- An embodiment of theinvention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in

which Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing my improvement in connection with an insulator assembly.

0 Figure 2 is a perspective view of the power lme terminal. I

igure 3 is an elevation of the inner end of-the insulator of said assembly showing the power line terminal inposition therein;

Figure 4 is a plan view of a portion of an electroluminescent tube.

At the outset my invention isto be distinguished from the insulator assembly in .line terminal.

1928. Serial No. 288,881.

connection with which it is shown, such sssembly forming the subject matter of a copending joint agplication for patent Serial No. 293,565 of R. Wiley, W. K. Wiley, 'and myself and being shown in the present case merely as an exumplecf one way of supporting the tube and carrying the power The insulator assembly" includes a hollow glass member 1 of general cylindrical form and which has at is inner end an enlargement,

2 to provide a chamber for the accommodation of a power line terminal 3.

Fhe terminal 3, which is one of the features of the present invention, may be made in various forms, but is preferably in the formof a strip of resilient metal fashioned to provide a series of adjacent convoiutions. As herein shown the strip of metal of which the terminal 3 is composed is bent to provide a number of sinuous convolutions but it may be of any other form suitahle'tor the purposes in view so long as it functions in the manner desired, that is to say to provide a terminal which may be tapped at various points. The power terminal 3 oi the form shown is compressed and inserted through the main body ortion of the member 1 into the terminal c amber 2. placed in thischamber the power terminal expands to a len h determined by the diameter of the vcham erand is thus automaticall secured within the member 1. The terminal 3 is connected to the line by a lead-in wire i which is preferably passed through an aperture at one side of the member 1 and is comiected to the terminal 3 at or near one of its ends.

The end of the member 1 remote from the chamber 2 is flared as indicated at 5 and abuts the inner face ofthe display wall D of the sign casing against which it is held uy a rin 6, which is secured to said well by bolt an nut fastening 7 and which enga es an external shoulder provided by the are 5. The member 1 is in axial aiignmentwith an opening 8 which is formed in the wall D and through which the electrode carrying termi nal portion E of the electroluminescent tube T is introduced, such terminal portion extending from a goose neck bend at the end of the tube in a direction normalto the length of the tube. v

The insulator assembly is completed by a washer 9 and a bushing 10, these parts bemg fitted over the terminal carrying portions of the tube before the latter is placed on'the sign and functioning to secure the tube to the sign casing.

The washer 9 is preferably composed of resilient insulating material. It is formed to fit tightly upon the electrode carrying portion E of the tube and is placed thereon at a point such that when the portion E of the tube is inserted into the member 1 to the extent necessary to connect its terminal 13 to the power terminal 3 the outer marginal edge of the washer has a seating determined by the location of the base of the flared portion 5 of the member 1, a flat gasket 11 being preferably interposed between the washer and said base. The terminal 13 of the tube is in the form of a straight, somewhat elongated, stem or shank with a pointed end to facilitate its entry between the folds or convolutions of the power terminal and is of a diameter which insures its contact with the resilient walls of the adjacent convolutions.

With the parts positioned as above described, the bushing 10 which is loosely fitted on the tube is moved through the wallopening 8 into engagement with the outer marginal edgeof the washer 9 to press the latter against its seat. The bushing is preferably formed with threads 12 and the wall of the opening 8 is formed to cooperate with said threads. The outer end of the bushing is flanged to abut thedisplay wall and cooperate with a sealing gasket 14. The insulator 1 is of substantially reater diameter than the electrode carrying portion E and the flared portion 5 of said insulator is-of substantially eater diameter than the washer 9. It folows that said insulator will readily accomfectively engage the power terminals 3 because they will always select and enter some one of the folds of. the power terminal and engage the resilient side walls of such fold. The particular 'fold of the power terminal which may be engaged by the terminal 13 will, of course, depend on the particular po-' sition of the electrode carrying'portion of the tube in the member 1 and the direction in which said electrode carrying portion may extend. Thus with reference to its position in the member 1 the electrode carrying portion may coincide with the axial center of said member or it may be in varying degree and in either direction off center; and likewise it may be perpendicular to the tube body or at a slight angle in either direction to the perpendicular, these variations being characteristic of the manufacture of a series of tubes of given length by the glass blowing process which does not admit of precise or exact control of the spacing and angular relation of the electrode carrying portions.

It is to be observed that the washer 9 will take a position on its seat which will correspond to the position of the electrode carrying portion of the tube. in the member 1 and being of flexible material, will adapt itself to any slight inclination in the electrode carrying portion relatively to the longtudinal axis of the member 1.

\Vhilc the power terminal 3 may be of any suitable thickness or depth it is preferably made of rather considerable depth and the terminal 13 is likewise made of rather considerable length. These features further insure the effectiveness of the electrical contact of the terminal 13 with the power terminal.

F rom the foregoing description it will be apparent that the electrical connections constituting the invention greatly facilitate the manufacture of electrolumnescent signs and add to the oertaintyand effectiveness of their operation since, regardless of variations in the spacing and angular relation of the electrode carrying portions of the tube, they provide for effective electric contact between the tube terminal and the power line terminal and in accomplishing this object do not require any laborious or delicate adjustments, the tube terminal being always self-centering with respect to the power line terminal and the electrode carrying portion of the tube always taking any position that may be required within the supporting element. A further advantage is the obvious facility with which the tubes T may be applied to or removed from the sign casing.

Having fully described my invention, I claim:

1. In an electric sign, the combination with a wall having an opening, and an electroluminescent tube having an angularly extended electrode carrying terminal portion for insertion through said opening, the latter, being of. substantially greater diameter than said terminal portion, of a terminal projecting from said terminal portion, and a power line terminal supported behind said opening formed to provide a plurality of tapping points, said terminals being formed for engaging co-operation in any position and angle of said electrode carrying portion with reference to an axis co-incid1ng with the center of said opening.

2. ,In an electric sign, the combination with a wall having an opening, of a power line terminal supported behind said opening and consisting of a strip of resilientmetal fashioned with a series of convolutions, and an electroluminescent tube having an electrode carrying portion for insertion throu h said opening, and provided with a projecting ter- -minal shank for engagement between admined by the position and angle ofsaid electrode' carrying portion with reference to an minal supported behind said opening and axis coinciding with the center of said opening.

a wall having an opening, of a power line terc'onsisting of a strip of resilient metal bent into sinuous form to provide a series of convolutions, and an electroluminescent tube having an electrode carrying portion for in sertion through said opening, and provided with a projecting terminal shank for engagement in a fold of said terminal as determined by the position and angle of said electrodecarrying portion with reference to an axis coinciding with the center of said opening.

4. In an electric sign, the combination with a wall having an opening,of a power line terminal supported behind 'said opening and 7 consisting of a strip of resilient metal fashioned with a series ofrconvolutions, said convolutions-forming a plurality of sockets accessible through said opening.

5. In an electric sign, the combination with a wall having an openin ofa power line terminal supported behin said opening and consisting of a strip of resilient metal bent into sinuous form to provide a series of convolutions, said convolutions forming aplurality of sockets accessible through said opening.

6. In an electric sign, the combination with a wall having an opening, of a'power line terminal supported behind said opening and consisting of a strip of conductive material formed to provide aseries of, convolutions and an electroluminescent tube having an electrode carrying portion for, insertion through said opening and carrying a projecting terminal shank, saidshank being pointed to facilitate its entry between adjacent folds of said power terminal. I

' In testimony whereof Ihereby aflix my signature.

HARRY J. CUDNEY.

acent convolutions of said terminal as deterr 3. In an electric sign, the combination with 

